Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) is a law that protects vulnerable adults in hospitals or care homes who might be deprived of their liberty.
This information is for both staff in hospitals and care homes who may need to apply for Deprivation of Liberty authorisation and for people directly affected by or concerned about these decisions.
Key information
Hospitals and care homes cannot deprive anybody of their liberty without formal deprivation of liberty authorisation.
Hospitals and care homes must apply for standard authorisation to deprive someone of their liberty to their relevant local authority or primary care trust.
All requests for authorisation to NHS Bristol and Bristol City Council go through Bristol DoLS Service.
If you dont agree with a decision about deprivation of liberty, you should first talk to the hospitals or care homes. If you still are not happy about the decision, talk to the DoLS Service.
What is deprivation of liberty?
There is no simple definition of deprivation of liberty. It depends on the circumstances of each individual case. Court judgements suggest factors to look for that can help identify deprivation of liberty:
- Someone resists being admitted to a place and they are restrained and or sedated so that they can be admitted.
- Staff have complete control over the care and movement of someone for a considerable time.
- The institution has decided that someone cannot be released into the care of others, or allowed to live somewhere else.
- Carers ask for someone to be discharged to their care and this is is refused.
- Someone is not able to maintain social contacts because of restrictions placed on their seeing other people.
- Someone loses independence because they are under continuous supervision and control.
On their own, these factors do not mean there is a deprivation of liberty. However, the more factors present and the greater their impact, the more likely it is that a person is being deprived of their liberty.
A list of the factors to consider can be downloaded below. This list is not exclusive and more factors are likely to be added following new court cases.
The DoLS Code of Practice provides more information about how to identify a deprivation of liberty.
Applications for deprivation of liberty authorisation
There are two special terms used in the DoLS process:
- Hospitals and care homes are called 'managing authorities'.
- The supervisory body gives authorisation. This could be the primary care trust or a local authority.
Before you apply
Hospitals and care homes must consider options for delivering care or treatment that avoid deprivation of liberty altogether.
Making an application in cases that do not involve depriving a person of their liberty may place undue stress upon the person being assessed and on their families and carers.
You should check with the Bristol DoLS service if you are not sure if the case involves derivation of liberty.
Make an application
When deprivation of liberty is the least restrictive option and is in the best interest of the relevant person, the hospital or care home must apply for a standard authorisation of deprivation of liberty.
You should apply to the correct supervisory body, which is usually the local authority where the person is ordinarily resident.
If the person is in a care home, the correct supervisory body is usually the local authority that is funding the care. If the person is funding their own care and you aren't sure which local authority you should apply to, contact your local DoLS team for advice.
If the person is in hospital, the correct supervisory body is usually the local authority where the person lived when they were at home.
To apply:
- fill in DoLS form 1
- send it to us by secure email or recorded delivery post
- send us all supporting evidence, including the care plan and risk management plan
Apply by secure email
Visit bristol.gov.uk/securemail to securely email dols@bristol.gov.uk using Proofpoint. This automatically encrypts your email for free.
pdf Guidance on using our secure email system (754 KB)
Apply by post
Send your application by recorded delivery to:
Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) Team (City Hall)
Bristol City Council
PO Box 3399
Bristol
BS1 9NE
After you apply
The supervisory body will perform six assessments in order to determine whether the deprivation of liberty can be authorised.
What if the application is authorised?
If the supervisory body authorises a deprivation of liberty, this will be for a limited time (up to maximum of 12 months) and the supervisory body will put conditions in place to ensure the person's welfare.
The supervisory body will also appoint a representative for the person being deprived of their liberty. The representatives role is to provide support and to represent the person deprived of their liberty in all matters regarding authorisation and request a review of the authorisation where necessary.
The safeguards also ensure that the person deprived of their liberty and their family, carers and friends have right to appeal against a decision in a court of law.
Review of authorisation
If circumstances change then the hospital or care home should apply for a review.
The person concerned, or their representative, can also request a review.
The supervisory body must also carry out a review when statutory review grounds are met.
What should I do if I am concerned that a person is being deprived of their liberty?
First, you should discuss your concerns with the hospital or care home. They may be able to change this persons care or treatment arrangements to ensure that the deprivation of liberty is avoided, or may be able to explain why the person is not actually deprived of their liberty unlawfully. A standard letter is available for this purpose but this request does not have to be in writing.
If you disagree with the managing authoritys response to your concerns you can contact the DoLS Service directly and request to investigate an unauthorised deprivation of liberty.